Bung bush



P 1941- J. c. MULLEN' Y 2,256,906

BUNG BUSH Filed July 10, 1939 N NTOR JAMES .MULLEN K QPpQ R' RNEY ATTO Patented Sept. 23, 1941 UNITED TES FATE FFHCE BUNG BUSH Application July 10, 1939, Serial No. 283,621

1 Claim.

This invention relates to kegs or barrels of the type usually employed as containers for ale and beer, and has particular reference to the bung hole closures usually formed at the bilge of barrels.

The conventional bung bush has an outer annular flange which is seated in a recess provided for it in the surface of the barrel stave. Heretofore most of the barrel staves were of solid construction. With the advent of the laminated stave the removal of a portion of the material of the stave for seating the bung bush flange results in an undesirable condition. This is also partly true of the stave of solid construction, although possibly so to a lesser degree. It is this undesirable condition and weakening among other things that the present invention aims to overcome, while at the same time, minimizing as much as possible any jar to the barrel in rolling by reason of the projecting flange.

While one embodiment of this invention is i1- lustrated in the accompanying drawing, itis to be understood that such embodiment merely serves as an illustration of the underlying principles of the invention so that it may be readily comprehended by those skilled in the art, and is not intended as limiting the invention to the specific details disclosed therein.

In said drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a bung bush embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the same taken along the line 22 of Fig. 3 as mounted in a barrel stave which is also shown in cross section, and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 2.

Turning now to a detailed description of my invention taken in connection with the drawing, the bung bush A which is made of any suitable material is shown as provided with an outer crowned annular flange B, the outer lower circumferential edge of which is adapted to become slightly imbedded in the material of the cask to afford a seal.

In order to provide an effective seal at the circumferential edge, the flange B is so formed as to have a curvature to fit both the longitudinal and the transverse curvatures of the stave in which it is seated. The transverse curvature is indicated as at C in Fig. 2 and the longitudinal curvature is indicated as at D in Fig. 3.

By fitting the curvature of the flange B to the curve of the stave both transversely and longitudinally the stave is uniformly bitten into so that an effective circumferential seal is provided for the bush without distortion of the bush.

The outer periphery of the flange B on opposite sides thereof is shown as being chamfered off as at E (Figs. 1 and 3) so as to provide a flush or substantially flush meeting of said edges with the outer wall of the barrel stave, partly negativing inequalities as between the upper surfaces of the stave and flange to permit rolling the barrel Without excessive shock.

The said curves indicated at C and D are so gentle as not to be readily recognized by the workman installing them and in order to direct the proper positioning of the bung bush in its hole a pair of indicating notches as at F are provided on opposite sides at the exterior of the flange, said notches in the instance shown indicating that the bung bush must be inserted with the two notches positioned in parallelism with the length of its receptive stave.

At the inner extremity of the bung bush the edge is shown somewhat exaggerated as at H as being peened or rolled over to lock the bung bush in position in its stave.

When the bung bush is driven home and peened over at the inside, the outer edge of the flange B uniformly bites into the wood of the stave to hold the bush in position without the weakening disadvantages of the countersink, all as clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. This biting into the wooden stave by the bung bush is also true of the peened over inner end thereof.

About the outer side walls of the bung bush and between said walls and the adjoining walls of the stave is indicated as at I an intermediate liner strip in accordance with the usual practice.

It is claimed:

The combination with the bung stave of a barrel, said stave having different longitudinal and lateral curvatures, of a bung bushing comprising a smooth tapered tubular portion for insertion in the bung hole opening and an annular flange at the outer end of the cylindricalportion having a downwardly bent peripheral flange with the peripheral edge thereof uniformly embedded in the stave surface, opposite portions of said flange adjacent its periphery being chamfered to bring the upper peripheral edge of the flange in conformity to the longitudinal and lateral curvature of the stave surface.

JAMES C. MULLEN. 

